ged themselves, each at a window, Phyllis at the one toward the
sea; Leslie facing Curlew's Nest, and began an exciting vigil. With the
electric light switched off, it was so black, both inside and out, that
it would have been difficult to distinguish anything, but with the
windows shut and encrusted with wind-blown sand, it was utterly
impossible. And when they dared to open them even a crack, the rain
poured in and drenched them. They could do this only at intervals. Even
Rags seemed to share the general uneasiness, and could find no
comfortable spot in which to dispose himself, but kept hovering between
the two windows continually.

It was Leslie who suddenly spoke in a hushed whisper. She had just opened
her window the merest crack and peeped out, then closed it again without
sound. "Phyllis, come here a moment. Look out when I open the window. It
struck me that I saw something--some dark shape--slip around the corner
of the house next door. See if you can see it."

Phyllis applied her eye to the crack when the window was opened. Then she
drew her head back with a jerk. "I certainly did see something!" she
whispered excitedly. "It slipped back to the other side of the bungalow!"
She peered out again. "Good gracious! I see it again--or else it's
another one. Doesn't seem quite like the first figure. Can there possibly
be two?"

Leslie then, becoming impatient, demanded a turn at the peep-hole, and
while she was straining her gaze into the darkness, they were both
electrified by a light, timid knock at the door of the front veranda.

"Who can _that_ be?" cried Leslie, wide-eyed and trembling.

"Perhaps it's Ted come back," ventured Phyllis. "At any rate, I suppose
we'll have to go and see!"

Rags, alert also, uttered a low growl, and Leslie silenced him anxiously.
"If this arouses Aunt Marcia,"--she whispered, "I shall be awfully
worried. Be quiet, Rags!"

They tiptoed into the living-room, switched on the light, and advanced to
the door. Again the knock came, light but insistent; and without further
hesitation, Leslie threw the door open.

A muffled, dripping figure inquired timidly, "Please may I come in? I'm
dripping wet and chilled to the bone."

"Why, _Eileen_!" cried Leslie, "what are you doing here in this terrible
storm?"

"I got lost on the way back from the hospital," half sobbed the
new-comer, "and I must have motored round and round in the rain and dark.
And at last something went wrong with th